Upswing in Indo-U.S. relations

Upswing in Indo-U.S. relations

The U.S. president, Mr. Bill Clinton's visit to India has
inaugurated what could be a brighter and more promising chapter
in the history of the relationship between India and the United
States which has for long been a troubled and difficult one.

However it is undeniable that the sharp gap remains on crucial
policy issues, such as India's nuclear weapons and the manner of
engaging or not engaging Pakistan. No diplomatic "spin" or
attempt to finesse these differences, as for instance suggesting
a greater convergence between the Indian and American official
views on terrorism, will camouflage the actual fact that beneath
the veneer of cordiality and bonhomie, the American strategic
view of the subcontinent has not changed in essence. Yet the more
frequent diplomatic exchanges between India and the U.S. that
have now been envisaged should certainly make it easier for both
sides to place their differences in a context that is far less
strained.

The conclusions that emerge at the end of the political part
of Mr. Clinton's sojourn in India are unmistakable. While the
upswing and the greater momentum in Indo-U.S. relations is
welcome and indeed necessary, its best expression would be found
in deepening and expanding economic and cultural exchanges.

India which has been insisting that there ought not to be any
external mediation in its problems with Pakistan must resist the
temptation to use the U.S. as an interlocutor, however well
disposed it seems at the moment. The only course forward is to
delink Indo-U.S. relations from India-Pakistan ties. The
imperative is to deal with Pakistan directly, especially since
India would require such dealings to be on India's own terms. The
relationship with the United States, which is a promising and
potentially multifaceted one, should not be held hostage to
India's regional stakes.

-- The Hindu, New Delhi